Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

I am a fan of Costa Vida and Cafe Rio’s Lime Cilantro dressing and after Googling recipes I did a little mixing and matching and came up with this recipe.

• 1 pk Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
• 1 cup mayo
• 1 Tbsp vinegar and milk to equal 1/2 cup
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup Salsa Verde
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• juice of 1 lime or equal to 2 Tbsp

Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor.

Make it several hours before serving so it can be chilled. I like overnight so the flavors can meld together.

Zippy Ziti

• 8 oz pkg of ziti, uncooked
• 4 C. frozen broccoli cuts
• 3 clove garlic, minced
• 2 C. alfredo sauce
• 14 1/2 oz can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 2 C. mozzarella cheese
• 4 Tbsp. Italian style bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. butter, melted

Prepare ziti according to package directions; add broccoli during last minute of cooking time. Drain; add garlic, alfredo sauce, tomatoes and cheese, mixing well. Spoon into a casserole dish; set aside. Toss bread crumbs with butter; sprinkle over ziti. Bake at 350 degrees about 20-30 minutes, until top is golden. Makes 4-6 servings.

Chinese Noodle Salad

I am sure this is a familiar recipe to most people.

• 1 lg head napa cabbage, chopped

• 5 green onion, chopped (use only the tops)

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked

• 1 pkg ramen noodles, broken into small pieces, don’t use the seasoning packs

• 1 sm pkg slivered almonds

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds, lightly roasted

Mix everything but the noodles together.

Dressing:

• 1 cup oil

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup vinegar

Blend.

Add to cabbage mixture and refrigerate. Add noodles just before serving.

I like to chop the chicken breast for this salad instead of just shredding it. For some reason I just like the smaller pieces of chicken.

This time I added roasted soy nuts. They added a really nice crunch and flavor.

Also I used just half of the dressing which was really nice. You could taste more of the other ingredients and not just dressing. Plus I just didn’t want to add that much sugar to the salad. Not that I am anti-sugar, but I think I could stand to cut a little sugar out of my diet and be just fine…or maybe even more fine. You know what I mean?!?

And I totally spaced adding the raman noodles before eating…and didn’t really miss them.

Crockpot Cacciatore Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken breast halves
• 32 oz jar spaghetti sauce
• 4 oz can sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Put chicken in Crockpot. Pour on sauce, mushrooms and broth. Sprinkle with seasoning.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve over egg noodles.

When I put my chicken in I always season it with salt, pepper and garlic.

Apple Pancakes

• 2 C. Bisquick
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/3 C. Milk
• 1 C. grated apple
• 1 egg

Syrup

• 1 C. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 C. apple cider
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 C. butter

add all at one time bring to a boil...until butter is melted.

Serve with Sour Cream.

I double both the pancake batter and the syrup for my family.

Pizza Dough

• 1 C warm water
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 Tbsp sugar

Mix together until yeast blooms.

Add:

• 1 tsp salt
• ½ C olive oil
• 3 C flour

Mix in Kitchen-aid with bread hook, about 2 minutes.

Let raise 20 minutes.

Pull and roll onto pizza shape. Add favorite pizza toppings. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.

Spicy Orange-Glazed Drumsticks

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (found in the Asian section of the supermarket)
• 8 chicken drumsticks (about 2 1/2 pounds)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound green beans
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 4 corn bread muffins, warmed

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F. In a small bowl, mix the marmalade and chili-garlic sauce.
2. Season the chicken with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes, brushing with the marmalade mixture during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the green beans until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain and toss with the butter and 1⁄4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken and muffins.

By Sara Quessenberry,  October 2009 Real Simple Magazine